Karnataka   

The ground beneath their feet enriches others In Focus

CHICKaBALLAPUR: The death of two workers at an illegal sand quarry in Gauribidanur taluk of Chickaballapur district on Monday has again highlighted the need for a comprehensive sand extraction policy to ensure safety of workers and protection of the ecology and the environment.

Although large-scale and unscientific sand extraction has caused severe damage to the ecology, the environment and agriculture in various parts of the State, the Government has not come out with a specific policy to address the complex issue.

Incidentally, it is the backward and arid Chickaballapur district that has borne the brunt of the devastation caused by sand extraction, which has been thriving in the district for decades.

Unlike other districts in the State, the undivided Kolar district has no major rivers and irrigation facilities. Agriculture is completely dependent on borewells in Kolar and Chickaballapur districts where the water table has plummeted. Farmers are a worried lot as sand extraction is resulting in rapid depletion of the water table.

This illegal industry has serious implications for Chickaballapur district as nearly 30 per cent of the sand consumed by Bangalore’s fast-growing construction is sourced from here and, a major chunk of it comes from Gauribidanur taluk.

Large-scale sand extraction, according to green activists, has caused severe damage to minor dams and feeder canals constructed across the North Pinakini and the Kumudavathi.

Nearly 75 per cent of water sources, irrigation wells, minor irrigation tanks and borewells in Gauribidanur have dried up ever since sand began to be extracted in the taluk in a big way 20 years ago.

Every day over 200 truckloads of sand are transported from Gauribidanur alone. As each truck carries around 15 tonnes of sand as against the maximum permitted limit of 10 tonnes, rural roads, developed by spending considerable sums of money, have been badly damaged, said Gauribidanur MLA N.H. Shivashankar Reddy.

Although sand extraction has been banned in the district, illegal extraction and transportation is continuing and the deaths at a quarry on Monday testifies to it.

Poor enforcement of law, political interference, alleged nexus between officials and the sand mafia have resulted in illegal extraction and transportation of hundreds of truckloads of sand from Chickaballapur district daily.

Official sources told The Hindu that while police and revenue officials had seized some trucks for violating conditions, there was lack of coordination between the Departments of Transport, Mines and Geology, Police and Revenue.

Besides, the officials were under pressure from a few Ministers not to enforce the ban strictly as it would hit construction activity in Bangalore, sources said.

A senior Minister from Bangalore is said to have even called a police official and directed him not to interfere with lorries transporting sand.

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